Spencerport father and son take to the tracks

Spencerport father and son take to the tracks

In the Baker household, Friday nights are reserved for racing under the lights. Dave Baker and his son, Joshua, of Spencerport, have been racing in kaged go-karts for the past four years.

Joshua was five-years-old when he scored his first seat time in a go-kart, his father said. "We gave him a little more seat time every year and now when we are on the tracks he is leaving me in the dust," Dave said.

The kaged go-karts feature a roll cage and seat belts for added safety and the racers have to wear safety gear, fire suits, gloves, arm restraints, neck braces and a helmet. "There are a lot of racers who don't use the kaged karts but we make sure we practice safety when we're out there having fun," Dave said.

The duo, and other racing enthusiasts have their fun at the Batavia Motor Speedway that recently added kaged races to their Friday night line up. "We like it because the dirt track is very smooth and safe to race on," Dave said.

Now that the Bakers have found a race track to call home, Dave and his business, D&J Trucking, are sponsoring a seven race series at the speedway. "We're planning to have three classes of kaged karts - for six- to nine-year-olds, 10 to 14-year-olds and adult classes," he said. "The racer that earns the most points during the seven-race series will be eligible for one of the cash prizes," he said. "The prize for first place will be $177."

When asked why he decided to sponsor a race series Dave said, "We just want to get more families to come and see what kart racing is like. It's really a great family event."

Josh Bonsignore, manager of the speedway, said he welcomes Baker's enthusiasm and hopes the race series will draw more people to the sport. "It's a great family event and a good project for youth to become involved in," he said.

"The last three years have been a great learning tool for my son and me," Dave said. "The best times are in practice when we race side by side. On race nights it's a different story - I am usually eating his dust."

The series starts June 2. Call Baker at 749-2132 for information.